New Nottingham pre-school lands bank funding

A family-owned childcare business in Nottingham has bought premises to open a pre-school, with the support of a loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Willow Childcare and Training, based in Edwalton, was originally set up in 1998 by Sally Watson as a before and after-school kids club, which operated from a rented scout’s hut. In 2014, daughter Kerry joined the business and, together, they expanded it in 2015 to offer training courses to childminders across Nottinghamshire.

As the area has seen an increasing shortage of childcare places, Kerry and Sally turned to Lloyds Bank for a loan to purchase a bungalow and renovate it, to create space for a new pre-school, kids club and an office for the business to operate from.

The new pre-school on Wellin Lane, which opened in May, provides 30 places for children aged two to four, and will welcome five new members of staff to the now 23-strong team.

Kerry Delaney, director at Willow Childcare and Training, said: “Providing excellent childcare to local families and supporting childminders in Nottinghamshire has always been a priority for us. Moving to the new premises will allow us to establish a ‘home-from-home’ environment for the children and build on our training courses even further.

“Lloyds Bank has been really helpful throughout the process, making the relocation even smoother.”

Phill Bateman, relationship manager for healthcare in the East Midlands at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “Willow Childcare and Training is central to the local community in Edwalton, and it’s pre-school facilities are invaluable for preparing the children before they move onto Edwalton Primary School. Kerry and Sally have invested so much into the development of the business, and we fully understood and supported the decision to invest in a permanent property to run the operation from.”